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Saturday, 12 September 2009

Sand blasted!!

There were five of us for the rough, rainy ride on Thursday last week. The afternoon weather in Saigon has become reliably unkind in the last month, so, although we do the same route each time, the rain and wind have kept it challenging. Nothing is more fun and empowering than passing a puttering motorbike in the rain. On the flipside, nothing is more irritating than having them pass you and spray you with a nice coat of sandy water. I can't seem to figure out if this is just typical of the Vietnamese and their lack of personal space or if they are trying to be mean. The latter option wouldn't even enter into my mind, except that they seem to get some sick pleasure out of driving really close to you, seeing how nervous they can make you. It's really an interesting and highly unsafe game of chicken, kind of like a real-life video game.

No real interesting sights on Thursday. Well, I guess I should say nothing out of the ordinary. Cows crossing the road, motorbikes carrying ten crates of beer strapped to the back, people selling seafood on the side of the road, all things normal to Vietnam. At least we can say that foreigners and locals provide each other with reciprocal entertainment. Never a dull moment.

Next week we plan to make out ride a bit longer. Coming out of the city we are very limited in the number of safe rides available, so we plan to go on the same highway, just go out 30 minutes further. Our current ride is about 40k from start to finish, so we are trying to work ourselves up to the 60-110k we will be doing every day in November. Hello thunder thighs!

I have really enjoyed the rides the last few weeks. I have gotten to know people that I have worked with for almost a year, but haven't had the chance to spend much time with away from school. I feel like we are really becoming a team. It is nice to know that if you are having a slow day you've got five other people pushing you to give it everything you've got, and with only 50 days left until departure this extra push is necessary. Go team!!

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What H2H Is

H2H - Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City - is a charity bicycle ride that first took place in 2009. It is organized by volunteers and the funds raised go towards Vietnamese organizations that work with poor and disadvantaged children. The ride lasts for a month, and takes place every April. If you'd like to learn more, contact h2h.ride@gmail.com.